Rashid puts Afghanistan in sight of win maiden Test win

DEHRADUN: Spinner Rashid Khan claimed five wickets to put Afghanistan in sight of their maiden Test victory after bowling out Ireland for 288 on day three of the one-off game on Sunday.Chasing 147 to win, Afghanistan were 29 for one at stumps. Ihsanullah Janat, on 16, and Rahmat Shah, on 11, were batting at close of play in Dehradun. Spinner Andy McBrine had opener Mohammad Shahzad caught behind for two before Janat and Shah, who made 98 in Afghanistan’s first innings total of 314, played out the last few overs of the day.Ireland batsmen Andy Balbirnie and Kevin O’Brien had earlier hit half-centuries before Khan returned career-best figures of 5-82 to bowl out Ireland in the final session of play.Balbirnie made 82 and O’Brien 56 before a 10th-wicket 58-run partnership between James Cameron-Dow and Tim Murtagh set up a potentially tricky chase for the Afghans.Cameron-Dow was left unbeaten on 32 after number 11 Murtagh, who hit 54 not out in Ireland’s first innings score of 172, was the last man out on 27.Earlier Balbirnie put on 104 runs for the third wicket with James McCollum, who made 39, to frustrate the Afghanistan bowlers in the first session.An umpiring howler cost Ireland their first wicket of the day with Paul Stirling adjudged lbw off paceman Yamin Ahmadzai for 14 after the opener got a thick edge onto his pad.Balbirnie, who resumed the day on 14, stood firm to register his maiden Test half-century with a boundary off Mohammad Nabi.Ireland took lunch at 124-2 but a batting collapse in the second session saw them slip to 157-6, with Khan and Salamkheil sharing the spoils.Ireland 1st innings: 172Afghanistan1st innings: 314Ireland 2nd innings (overnight 22-1):W. Porterfield c Khil b Ahmadzai 0P. Stirling lbw b Ahmadzai 14A. Balbirnie c Khil b Salamkheil 82J. McCollum lbw b Khan 39K. O´Brien lbw b Khan 56S. Poynter c Janat b Salamkheil 1S. Thompson c Janat b Khan 1G. Dockrell lbw b Khan 25A. McBrine st Khil b Khan 4J. Cameron-Dow not out 32T. Murtagh c Rahmat b Ahmadzai 27Extras: (b4, lb2, w1) 7Total: (all out, 93 Overs) 288Fall: 1-0 (Porterfield), 2-33 (Stirling), 3-137 (Balbirnie), 4-141 (McCollum), 5-150 (Poynter), 6-157 (Thompson), 7-220 (Dockrell), 8-229 (O´Brien), 9-230 (McBrine), 10-288 (Murtagh)Bowling: Ahmadzai 14-1-52-3, Nabi 20-1-58-0, Khan 34-7-82-5, Salamkheil 17-2-66-2, Momand 8-0-24-0 (w1)Afghanistan 2nd innings (target 147):M. Shahzad c Poynter b McBrine 2I. Janat not out 16R. Shah not out 11Total: (1 wicket, 16 overs) 29Fall: 1-5 (Shahzad)Bowling: Dockrell 7-4-18-0, McBrine 8-4-8-1, Cameron-Dow 1-0-3-0Toss: IrelandUmpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG), Sundaram Ravi (IND)TV Umpire: Ahmed Shah Pakteen (AFG)Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND).

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